


I'll Know Once I Get There

by lilly_the_kid



Category: Once Upon A Time In Hollywood (2019)
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Sharing a Bed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-10
Updated: 2019-09-10
Packaged: 2020-10-14 02:30:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 819
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20593205
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lilly_the_kid/pseuds/lilly_the_kid
Summary: So, that was that. They were back here. Back where they had been quite a few times before without ever really talking about it.





	I'll Know Once I Get There

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fic.
> 
> I love these two so much, I just had to write my own little version of what happened.

Being in the hospital sucked. It was quiet. It was slow. It gave a man time to think and right now that was the last thing Cliff wanted to do. Rick had visited him earlier, but Cliff only vaguely remembered it. He had still been on the good stuff. And now he was awake and alert and alone. And it sucked.

He kept thinking about Rick telling him that he couldn't afford to pay him anymore back in Italy. He also kept thinking about the skull he had smashed to pieces. And he kept thinking that he and Rick and Francesca could be dead now. So, in a way, this current state of affairs wasn't exactly too bad, but it wasn't ideal either. He was struggling to see his place in all of this. His mind kept racing along different roads, encountering different obstacles and just wouldn't arrive at a pleasant destination.

"Hey there, old buddy, " Cliff opened his eyes and saw Rick smiling at him. "You feeling better? You seemed pretty out of it yesterday." Cliff blinked. "Yeah, I guess so." He tried to sit up a bit and grimaced at the pain in his hip. Rick's smile faded. "Careful there. God, I'm- I'm so s-sorry." "Nah, don't be sorry. We're still here." Cliff put on a big smile and found that he really meant it. Despite the pain and despite the uncertainty he felt, they were here and he was glad.

"How's Francesca?" Rick sighed. "She left for Italy this morning." Cliff waited, but that seemed to be all Rick was going to say about it, at least for now. "Well," he said "I guess you can't blame her." Rick looked out of the window. "I guess not," he said after a while.

"Well anyway. They tell me you'll be getting out of here in a few days. I'll pick you up and bring you home." "Home?" "Yeah s-sure, I figuered it'd be a while until you're completely fine and I won't have you staying at your place." Rick smiled. "Besides, I'll never let Brandy go, so you might just tag along." "Is that right?" "Yeah, that's right." There was far more said than the words may have suggested and Cliff felt a bit more at ease. It was like the complicated road with lots and lots of turns in front of him had suddenly become, well, not straighter, but easier to navigate.

A guy Rick introduced as Jay drove them from the hospital to Rick's place. It was strange to have someone else steer the car Cliff had driven so many times up this very road. Rick helped him inside. They stopped right after entering, Brandy running at them wagging her tail. She didn't jump at Cliff, though. Just gently nudged his leg. "There's my good girl, there's my good girl," Cliff said, carefully bending down a bit to scratch her head. His gaze went around the room. The phone was missing. And there were still some brownish stains on the floor where the blood hadn't washed completely off. 

"I did make quite a mess, didn't I?" he said. Rick's hand on his waist gripped him a bit tighter. "You sure d-did, buddy." Cliff leaned a bit into Rick. "So, where to? I'm afraid this little trip made me tired." His heart was beating a little faster while waiting for Rick's reply. "Let's get you to the bedroom and s-settle down for a bit," Rick said. So, that was that. They were back here. Back where they had been quite a few times before without ever really talking about it. Rick was still waiting. "Alright then, " Cliff said and he felt Rick relaxing.

Rick pushed the bedroom door open with his foot. They made their way to the bed and Cliff sat down slowly, wincing at the sting in his hip. He felt Rick's hand on his shoulder. "I'm ok, " he said and toed off his shoes. He shifted and sank down into the mattress. He closed his eyes and felt Rick moving to lie down beside him. Close, but not close enough to touch. He made a sound and Brandy jumped on the bed, coming to rest at their feet. He felt good. He felt like he was on his way to where he was supposed to be.

When Cliff woke up he first struggled to figure out his surroundings. He was in a nice big comfortable bed and not a crappy hospital bed. He also had Brandy at his feet which was great. He also had Rick sleeping next to him. Rick who was on his side considerably closer than before. His arm slung over Cliff's chest and his breath hot against Cliff's neck. And for some reason he had to think about all those times he had parked Rick's car in his driveway in front of the mural. "I made it, " he thought.


End file.
